The invention concerns a novel type of ski boot, in particular one made from injection molded plastics.
When skiing, in particular when on edge, moving over elevations or jumping, the leg frequently exerts forward stresses on the boot.
In conventional boots consisting of a shell and a collar, no provision is made to return the collar from the front to the rear unless by the leg itself. But it is mandatory that this collar be moved back quickly into the rear support position so that in the event of a new forward stress, the same angular leg displacement will once again be possible.
It was initially proposed to control the elasticity of both the shell and the collar materials. Unfortunately, this elasticity depends on the temperature and eventually renders the collar oval.
Then it was proposed to use either a technical bow means passing through the sole and resting on the rear of the boot (U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,528) or a shock absorber located in the boot sole. These solutions are very successful, but unfortunately are still fairly costly and therefore cannot be employed in the so-called lower or economy range.
Recently it has been suggested with respect to boots used in competition that a spring which joins the shell and the collar at the heel level be placed externally on the rear of the boot to dampen these flexions. This solution is still costly and, moreover, bulky and often incompatible with certain safety binding means. Furthermore, and most important, it withstands repetitive stresses poorly as all of the stresses from the collar are transmitted only by rivets or the like to the spring.